Warriors vs. Mavericks NBA expert prediction, pick and odds for Friday, April 5 (Take the points)

For the second time this week, the Golden State Warriors take on the Dallas Mavericks with playoff implications on the line.

Golden State is hoping to hang on to the final play-in tournament spot, which it gained some cushion on by beating Houston on Thursday, in the Western Conference while Dallas is suddenly the No. 5 seed in the West after winning eight of its last 10 games. 

On Tuesday, the Warriors pulled out a narrow win at home behind a 23-point game from Andrew Wiggins. Now, with Golden State going on the road on Friday, can it take down Dallas once again to improve its playoff chances?

The Mavs would love to stay hot and put some pressure on the Los Angeles Clippers for the No. 4 seed with a win. 

With both teams playing the second night of a back-to-back here, how should we bet on it?

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Here’s a look at the latest odds and my best bet: 

Warriors vs. Mavericks odds, spread and total

Warriors vs. Mavericks how to watch

• Date: Friday, April 5
• Time: 8:30 p.m. EST
• Venue: American Airlines Center
• How to watch (TV): NBC Sports Bay Area, Bally Sports Southwest
• Warriors record: 42-34
• Mavericks record: 46-30

Warriors vs. Mavericks injury reports

Warriors injury report

• Not submitted yet

Mavericks injury report

• Not submitted yet

Warriors vs. Mavericks key players to watch

Golden State Warriors

Steph Curry: The Warriors need Curry to get going to close out the season, as he shot just 5-for-18 from the field in the win over Dallas on Tuesday. Steph is still having a great season, but he entered Thursday’s matchup with Houston shooting just 41.4 percent from the field and averaging 21.7 points per game over his last 14 contests. 

Dallas Mavericks

Luka Doncic: A triple-double from Doncic wasn’t enough for Dallas to get a win on Tuesday, but Luka was a matchup nightmare for Golden State, shooting 11-for-22 from the field and 5-for-11 from 3. We know he’s going to put up the numbers, but can it be enough for the Mavs to get a win?

Warriors vs. Mavericks prediction and pick

Golden State is on fire right now, winning six straight games to open up a four-game cushion on Houston for the No. 10 seed. 

All of a sudden, the Warriors are just 1.5 games out of the No. 9 seed, and they still have a game against the Los Angeles Lakers on the schedule (the current No. 9 seed). 

Usually, Dallas is an auto bet on the second night of a back-to-back, as it is 9-3 ATS in that spot – the second best mark in the league. 

However, Golden State is great in that spot as well, going 9-5-1 against the spread. Plus, the Warriors are elite as away underdogs, going 12-7 ATS (the second-best mark in the league) this season.

The Warriors have a pair of wins over Dallas in the last month, including holding off a huge Luka game earlier this week. 

I don’t know if Golden State wins this game outright, but I think the team can hang around enough to cover the five-point spread. 

Pick: Warriors +5 (-110)

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.